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CRIME by Michael Eng | Editor
Narcotics lab discovered near Walden Lake Elementary
One Plant City man is facing charges after Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered a narcotics lab in a home less than one mile from Walden Lake Elementary School. Ronnie Dale Porter, 36, was charged with possession of, methylamine, a precursor chemical. A simple eviction turned into a daylong investiga- Porter tion Sept. 17, when Sheriff’s Office investigators discovered what appeared to be bomb-making materials inside the home, 4911 Pandora Place. However, after an
outside lab tested a sample of a chemical found in a refrigerator, investigators concluded the chemicals and other devices were part of a narcotics lab. The home’s owner, Kelly Doyle, said she had rented the home for 13 years to Porter, her third cousin, and his family, which includes a 4-year-old and a 12-yearold. Doyle said Porter had fallen behind on payments in the past, and she had tried to help. However, this year, she began eviction proceedings. Doyle and her brother, Wes, arrived at the home at 9 a.m. Sept.
17, to begin the eviction. As they searched the home, they discovered an 8-foot python, a tarantula and a bearded dragon. The Doyles called animal services to remove the animals. However, the animal services official discovered chemicals and pressure cookers in one of the rooms and evacuated the home. According to Sheriff’s Office Col. Jim Previtera, the pressure cookers were the same models used in the Boston Marathon bombing. “He [the tenant] tried to tell me it was his daughter’s science project,” Kelly Doyle said. Officials from Hillsborough
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
+ Mercer raises more questions than he answers
Dear Steve Mercer: Most people have empathy for those who run their own businesses, and I doubt anyone in this community has any personal animosity toward you or your partners. However, your recent letter in the Plant City Times & Observer raised more questions than it answered. You stated, “No one was interested in buying the Walden Lake Golf Course for three years.” This is just not true. It is possible no one was interested in paying the price and terms that you and your partners did. Regardless, are you trying to suggest that you were acting selflessly in doing this community a favor? You stated, “In the beginning, the community supported the golf club … then the recession hit.” The recession hit everyone, not just you and your partners. Plant City residents now spend their money at 54 golfing holes in Lakeland to our east (including 36 holes at Champions Gate — your home); 36 five-star golfing holes to our north at Lake Jovita, in little Zephyrhills; 36 five-star golfing holes to our south at Windsong, in little Bartow; and to our immediate west at Riverhills, Bloomingdale, and Buckhorn, in Brandon. In fact, the last golf course in our area to be closed was the course you managed before the recession even got started — the Plant City Municipal Golf Course. The surrounding golf courses survived the business cycle and now are thriving — what are the real reasons for the current conditions of Walden Lake Golf & Country Club? You stated, “[The partners] repeatedly asked the community for help but received the answer [the community] cannot help.” If you are referring to the club tax you suggested to the Walden Lake Community Association to help support you and your partners, did you not realize the recession was hitting everyone else, too? The WLCA has said your suggestion of a club tax was dismissed immediately, because it came with no accountability. Regardless, many businesses near Walden Lake depend on patronage from Walden Lake residents. Would you suggest they ask the WLCA impose a tax on each household to subsidize their businesses? If you had had a win-win proposal for the residents of Walden Lake, was it not incumbent upon you to market or sell your plan/business to this community at large — your potential customers? You state, “Only 10% of those homes adjoining golf courses belong … and why hundreds of golf course are failing around the country.” Again, what community golf course has failed within 50 miles of Plant City? You state, “We are planning a rebirth … something the community can be proud of.” What is your track record? If you really planned on all these “enhanced amenities,” why haven’t you at least maintained some of what you had? You state, “We see the possibility … to make our partners whole again — to recover from a hole no one thought possible.” How do we know that your scheme and dreams of a housing development to build out a newer pristine golf course is not just a fast-buck scheme to get out of this debt hole — at the cost of depreciating the assets of the entire community and one that sends the residents of Plant City to other communities to spend their money? You state, “People are threatening you … bombarding you … up in arms.” I share Vice Mayor Rick Lott’s comments from the July 22 City Commission meeting: “It is wonderful to see the residents exercising their civic responsibilities.” In the last five years, what communica-
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tions, letters, flyers, emails or any other marketing have you sent to the people of Plant City, your potential customers? You wanted to clarify rumor versus fact. But, please review your letters and emails. Much of the confusion rests with your communication — or lack thereof. Just a few weeks ago, you presented a four-page “Development and Renovation Project” to a few select people at the WLCA. This paperwork detailed which backyard gets a dwelling and which will not. The WLCA board members represent the “deed restrictions of the master-planned community.” They do not represent this homeowner in any other capacity. Do you not realize that, in general, a lack of transparency, the mere appearance of impropriety or conflicts of interests can create an environment of mistrust? (This does not just apply just to you. It includes the WLCA, elected officials and to all of us as a community.) Are you taking for granted the individual homeowners and their interests yet again? You state a federal trustee has released you of restrictions regarding zoning and level of care of the property. Once again, the lack of transparency and full candor leads to more confusion and mistrust. To my knowledge, no one has suggested to the city that it explore exercising eminent domain rights pertaining to the poor conditions of the property? Are you referring to the 25-year golf property clause put in place by WCI, which the WLCA said you tried to buy out years before WCI went bankrupt? Are you referencing your own bankruptcy? If one takes your comments at face value, it seems to smack squarely up against the earlier statement that zoning for something other than golf rests entirely with the city? If you are referring to your Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, one would presume you would have detailed your re-development plans to bankruptcy Judge Rodney May. Are you stating that this federal trustee and his zoning restriction release renders Plant City zoning or citizens concerns irrelevant? Ironically Mr. Mercer, you and your partners closed by stating, “All we ask is our rights be afforded to us by this great country in which we are proud to live.” On that point, we agree. Nearly 1,000 residents have signed a petition to present to our elected city officials, and once your plans are presented to the public at large, we will have more questions for you, your partners and elected officials. John Adams Walden Lake
+ Is the Walden Lake Community Association out of bounds?
Dear Editor: Transparency, consistency and objectivity are minimum standards all dues-paying members deserve from their homeowners association. A lack of transparency, a lack of consistency and conflicts of interest in any public entity can lead to the appearances of impropriety and to an environment of mistrust. At a recent board meeting of the Walden Lake Community Association, there was a motion to vote on whether the press should be allowed to attend and report on board meetings for residents who otherwise could not attend. Treasurer Karen Olson, stated with her “no” vote, “... Our bad PR is bad enough ...” Fortunately, the “yes” vote carried the day. I hope this letter serves as an example of why we need more transparency, more consistency and more objectivity —not less. The good news is that a minority on the board agree whole-heartedly and practice it without supervision.
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County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Haz-Mat and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms arrived to the home, evacuated five surrounding homes. They collected samples of chemicals for testing, as well as other evidence, Previtera said. One of the chemicals tested as methylamine hydrochloride, which is used to manufacture MDMA, or Ecstasy. Previtera said the size and type of narcotics lab was alarming. “A lab like that is not something that is common in this area,” he said. Contact Michael Eng at meng@ plantcityobserver.com.
In mid-July, there was an ad-hoc overflow meeting of more than 300 residents in the hot sun at our community center, starving for information regarding what the golf course owners may be planning and what it may mean for their homes and community. Voices from the crowd asked, “Is anyone here from the board of the Walden Lake Community Association?” The response was, “(President) Jan Griffin has said that she was advised by legal consul to play ‘Geneva.’” Just a few weeks later, the attorney for the WLCA reiterated this in front of a crowd at the John R. Trinkle Center. He told resident the WLCA represents the community deed restrictions pertaining to common areas and such. The golf course is private property. The golf owners will need to first approach the City of Plant City. Until then, he recommended the board members not comment on hypotheticals. Although I may not have fully agreed with the position taken, I understood it and could accept it. I find it difficult to accept the following behavior that has come to my attention. Just last week, I had several of my neighbors tell me that one owner of the golf course met with board members Aug. 22, to discuss his plans. They also said one of the three board members in attendance was denying any such meeting occurred. I called the WLCA and asked the following questions; 1.Was there a meeting with golf course owner? Answer: Yes. 2. Am I on speaker phone? Answer: No. (Karen Olson subsequently said I was.) 3.Who called the meeting? Answer: Mr. Steve Mercer 4.Who was at the meeting? Answer: Subcommittee members. We have 13 subcommittees. 5.What subcommittee? Answer: Community Involvement 6.Who is on the subcommittee? Answer: Jan Griffin, Karen Olson and Jim Chancey. Jan was out of town but asked for a stand-in. She did know of the meeting. 7.What did they discuss? Answer: Not sure, no minutes were taken. We are not required to take minutes if a specific head count is not met. 8. Did they discuss plans? Answer: No 9. Did they receive any paperwork that said proposal, project, renovations, maps of where homes may go, etc.? Answer: Well, he did submit a few sheets of paper. 10. May I get a copy? Answer: No. If this reads like I was pulling teeth, it certainly felt like the person I was speaking to and others now listening on speaker phone were obfuscating. Frustrated, I asked if I could take the association’s attorney up on his offer to speak to him, and I was told, “No.” It was at this time that I felt I had no other alternative than to write this letter and attend the Sept. 16 WLCA board meeting to convey the gist of it to the board in advance, should they want to offer a rebuttal. My objection to the board is this: If your attorney advised you to “play Geneva,” why would you entertain Mercer’s Aug. 22 meeting while choosing not to attend the meeting in July of more than 300 residents? Adding insult to injury, it also came out at last night’s board meeting, that Griffin had been “summoned to attend a planning meeting” with Mercer last June. When asked what was discussed,Griffin said she had been advised not to comment. As I explained to Griffin and the board, much of this information is already circulating in the public domain, and there is now developing a lack of confidence in the board as a whole. I suggested several steps to remedy the situation and begin a path to restoring confidence in the WLCA: 1. Because Jan Griffin had met with and reviewed plans in June and did not disclose to the community, did not meet with the July gathering and now entertained a meeting with
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Courtesy photo
At first, suspect Ronnie Porter said this was his 12-year-old daughter’s science project.
Mercer again, she has lost the confidence of the community and should resign or step down. 2. Because Karen Olson first denied that an Aug. 22 meeting ever took place when first confronted by informed residents — and subsequently denied she received documents showing where homes may go and where they may not — Olson also has lost the confidence of the community and should step down. 3. I would propose the WLCA discuss setting term limits at the next meeting. 4. I would propose that members of the WLCA issue disclosure statements that would prevent any potential conflicts of interest on any significant matters in front of the board (i.e. other family members on other sub-association boards, business interests, any special community/golf perks, etc.). This community will be facing some serious challenges in the not-too-distant future, and having confidence in transparency, consistency and objectivity will be important. I am sure the WLCA and your neighbors would love to know what you think. Don Marshall Walden Lake
+ Lady Raider’s composure on golf course impresses spectator
Dear Editor: It was 3 p.m. I was bored and went to watch the Plant City High School girls play a round of golf with the girls from Steinbrenner High. Not only was I cured of the boredom of a hot summer afternoon, but also I was treated to a golf clinic put on — if you can believe this — by a young lady, a sophomore no less, named Kendall Johnson. A short summary: She started out with a double bogey on hole No. 3. Her drive found the rough, she chipped out and was on the green in four. Her fifth shot rimmed the cup and thus her double bogey. She went on to par the fourth, fifth and birdied the sixth. Made par on the seventh and eighth, then went on to eagle the par-five ninth hole. Yes, I said eagle. She was on the green in two and faced a nasty left to right putt. I only can imagine the pressure that faced this young lady in this situation. Showing absolutely no emotion at all, she took her practice stroke, looked at the hole and sunk the putt. No smiles, no hand slapping, no outward emotion at all. She made her way past the astonished spectators without a glance and got ready for her next challenge. She made par on the No. 1 hole and finished her game with a birdie on No. 2. She finished with a nine-hole round of 34. This kid is something else. Tiger Woods could learn a thing or two from this young lady in the art of controlling one’s emotions. Nerves of steel is the best description I could come up with, and that doesn’t describe exactly what I saw. I don’t care if you’re a teenager or 70 years old — to shoot a 34 at Walden Lake is amazing. The course is in terrible condition. No grass on the fairways, a cruel, ankle-deep rough, sand traps without sand, and fire ants throughout the course challenges the best of you. Oh, did I mention she carried her bag in the 94-degree Florida sun for the entire nine holes? Ms. Johnson, thank you for making my day of boredom one to remember. Louis Artalona Plant City
+ Walden Lake golf course trouble truly a shame
Dear Editor: Thanks for the letter about the Walden Lake Golf & Country Club in the Plant City Times & Observer. I am afraid I am one of the non-joining ones who are to blame not supporting the golf course/clubhouse. I’m one of those who is here part-time and away part-time. All this is too bad. It is a shame that there were not dues to support the golf courses, such as the dues we pay for streets and yard work. Ellen Starmer Walden Lake
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